Machine for cutting cotton-wicking into lengths and bundling the same.



No. 813,441. PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906.

. H. MARSH. MACHINE FOR CUTTING COTTON WIGKING INTO LENGTHS AND BUNDLING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED MAILG. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Witnesses No. 813,441. PATENTBD FEB. 27, 1906. H. MARSH. MACHINE FOR CUTTING COTTON WIGKING INTO LENGTHS AND BUNDLING THE SAME.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6. 1905.

2 SEEETS-SHBET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY MARSH, OF HAMILTON, CANADA.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING COTTON-WICKING INTO LENGTHS AND BUNDLING THE SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1906.

the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to devise a machine for bundling cotton-wicking or the like and cutting it into lengths; and it consists, essentially,in leading the wicks through a stationary guide and through a rotatable casing adapted to wrap the wicks with thread. Means are provided for intermittently drawing the'wicks through the guide and casing,

for rotating the casing at such times as the wicks are stationary, and for bringing a rotary knife into contact with the wrapped wicks at the same periods, substantially as hereinafter more specifically described and then definitely claimed.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same; and Fig. 4, a detail in elevation, showing the means for operating the clutch on the main shaft.

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

A is the frame of the machine, suitably shaped to support the difierent parts, and B is the main driving-shaft, suitably ournaled thereon. This shaft carries the driving-pulley C, the pulley D loose on the shaft, the worm E, and the grooved pulley F. By means of a suitable belt the pulley D drives a pulley G, secured to the rotatably-supported casing H, which is located in line with the wick-guide I. This wick-guide is of sufficient size to accommodate the desired number of wicks which pass between the bars of the vertical guide J from some suitable receptacle. This vertical guide serves to straighten out the wicks and present them to the guideI in suitable relation to one another.

The rotatable casing H carries rotatablysupported bobbins K, the thread being led from the bobbins through guides or to the wick, the thread passing through a suitable o ening or openings in the casing. From t 's construction it follows that the rotation of the casing H will cause threads to be wrapped around the stationary wicking at two different places. The wrapping-thread is simply held by frictional engagement with the wicking and is drawn from the bobbins as needed, both when being wrapped around the wicking and when the latter is being fed forward, as hereinafter described. I prefer to employ with the bobbins spring-actuated brakes to keep the threads from the bobbins under proper tension. These, as shown in Fig. 1, are each composed of a flat piece Z of metal secured to a spindle journaled in the supports of the bobbin. A suitable coilspring m is employed, normally tending to press the spring-brake against the bobbin.

The worm E on the main shaft meshes with a pinion L on a short shaft suitably journaled on the frame of the machine at right angles to the main shaft. (See Fig. 8.) The other end of this shaft carries a mutilated gear M,

which intermittently engages the pinion N on the spindle of one of a pair of feed-rollers O, suitably geared together and journaled in bearings slidable in the vertical guides n. The bearings of one of these rollers are preferably vertically adjustable by means of setscrews 0. These rollers grasp the wicking and carry it through the machine. After passing between the rollers the wicking is forced through a trough P.

It will be noted, particularly on reference to Figs. 1 and 3, that the pulley D is provided with a movable friction-clutch V of any desired construction adapted to give the pulley a driving connection with the shaft. This friction-clutch is operated by the forked arms h of a bell-crank lever pivoted 011 the frame of the machine. The other arm 71 of this lever engages a cam on the same shaft as the pinion L and the mutilated gear. (See Fig. 4.) This bell-crank lever is normally held down and the clutch held out of connection with the pulley by means of the coil-spring 76, secured to the arm i and to the frame of the machine. The cam is so timed that it will throw the clutch'into connection to drive the pulley D, and thus rotate the casing H and wrap the wicking at such times as the wick is stationary. After the wrapping and as soon as the mutilated gear begins to operate the feed-rollers the cam releases the arm i and the clutch is thrown out by the action of the spring 70.

Over the trough P the spindle of a knife Q is j ournaled at the end of an arm R, journaled on the shaft B. The spindle of the knife carries a pulley S, driven by a belt or cord from the pulley F, the pulleys being proportioned to give the knife a high rate of speed. A protective screen is positioned over the knife To the knife-arm is pivoted one end of a connecting-rod b, the other end of which is pivotally connected with the end of an arm 0, secured to the rock-shaft T, journaled on the frame of the-machine. (See Figs. 2 and 3.) To this rock-shaft is secured an arm (1, extending in the opposite direction to the arm 0. The end of the arm d is pivoted at the lower end of a connectin -rod e. The other end of this rod is pivotalIy connected with a rock-arm f, pivoted on the frame of the machine at g. The rock-arm f is adapted to engage a cam U on the end of the transverse shaft carrying the pinion L. Thus the cam U through its connections is adapted to draw down the knife Q to bring it into contact with the wicking. Its upward movement is effected by the coil-spring 7c, connected with part of the frame of the machine and with the arm d. Of course a cam could be substituted for the cam U which would effect both the upward. and downward movements of the knife. I

From the constructions described it follows that the Wicks, preferably to the number of one dozen, are led into the machine, wrapped with five or siX turns of thread at a couple of points, then, through the action of the mutilated gear, after the wrapping has taken place fed along siX or eight inches, according to the proportion of the gearing, and finally cut off by the drawing down of the knife Q. While the cutting off is taking place the threads are being wrapped around two fresh places on the wicking, so that as soon as the knife rises the wicking is ready to be fed forward preparatory to the next cut of the knife. Thus the process is continuously carried on, and the bundles of wicking, cut off to the desired length, are turned out suitably secured together by the wrappings of thread at a rate infinitely faster than is possible by the old process of hand-cutting.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of my invention, the essential features lying in the method of wrapping the wicking, feeding it forward, and cutting it off into bundles of suitable length.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a stationary guide; a rotatable casing in line therewith; a bobbin journaled thereon, an opening being provided in the casing for the passage of thread from the bobbin; rotatable feed-rollers in line with the casing and guide; means for intermittently operating the rollers; and means for rotating the casing while the rollers are stationary, substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a stationary guide; a rotatable casing in line therewith; a bobbin journaled thereon, an opening being provided in the casing for the passage of thread from the bobbin; rotatable feed-rollers in line with the casing and guide; a suitably-operated knife; means for intermittently operating the feedrollers; and means for bringing the knife into contact with the wicking at such times as the feed-rollers are stationary, substantially as described.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a stationary guide; a rotatable casing in line therewith; a bobbin j ournaled thereon, an opening being provided in the casing for the passage of thread from the bobbin; rotatable feed-rollers in line with the casing and guide; a suitably-operated knife; means for intermittently operating the feedrollers; means for bringing the knife into contact with the wicking at such times as the feed-rollers are stationary; and means for intermittently rotating the casing, substantially as described.

4:. In a machine of the class described, the

combination of intermittent wick feeding means; wick-wrapping means; wick-cutting means; and means for operating the wrapping and cutting means at such times as the feeding means are stationary, substantially as described. 5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of wick-feeding means; means for intermittently operating the same; a trough for the wicking; a driving-shaft a knife-frame j ournaled on the shaft; a rotary knife journaled therein; means for driving the knife from the shaft; and means for swinging the frame to bring the knife into contact with the wicking at such times as the feeding means are stationary, substantially as described.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a stationary guide provided with separate openings for each one of a plurality of Wicks; a stationary guide provided with a single opening for all the wicks; a rotary casing in line with the said guide; a bobbin ournaled on the casing; an opening being provided in the casing for the passage of thread from the bobbin; and means for intermittently feeding the wicks through the casing, substantially as described.

7. I11 a machine of the class described, the combination of a stationary guide; a rotatable casing in line therewith; a driving-pulley thereon; a shaft; a pulley loose on the shaft and connected by belt with the pulley on the rotatable casing; a clutch by means of which the pulley may be given a driving connection IIS with the shaft; rotatable feed-rollers suitpulley on the main shaft at such times as the ably journalecl in line with the guide and feed-rollers are stationary, substantially as 10 geared together; a shaft transverse to the described. main shaft and geared thereto; mutilated Hamilton, Ontario, February 25, 1905.

gearing between the transverse shaft and one HARRY MARSH. of the feed-rollers whereby an intermittent In presence of motion is given the latter; and means for J. BowsTEAD,

putting the clutch into connection with the I J. C. BURNS. 

